Frequently Asked Questions About the Social Determinants of Health

November 7, 2015Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

RWJF’s Vulnerable Populations’ programs and projects are united in that they each worked within the context of the social determinants of health. And while social determinants were well established in academic circles and have been the subject of considerable study, we quickly discovered that the concept didn’t work on the ground. Our grantees—most of whom were dealing with real challenges at the community level, didn’t necessarily resonate with this frame. And as unsuccessful as the concept was for existing grantees, it made even less sense to organizations that approached the team for funding who hadn’t worked with us before.